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MAYFA'AH, YEMEN- MAY 2008 .Having been transferred from distant beaches along the Yemeni coast, Somali refugees disembark from trucks at the Mayfa'ah Reception Centre.Women and children sit on plastic sheeting laid out just inside the gates; the much larger group of men squeeze into a fenced-off covered waiting area, better designed for keeping a small herd of goats out of the sun. Being nearly four o'clock in the morning, the arrivals will be only briefly registered for now, as staff take just names and nationalities. The nervous group make progress slow, and as they wait patiently, handfuls disappear off for a few minutes to an adjacent makeshift mosque, to say prayers and give thanks to God. Once the process is complete, individuals will be given a mattress and bedding as they finally lay down to a restful sleep. It has taken weeks to get this far and most are on the brink of collapse.Tomorrow the new arrivals will re-group for a talk. They will be informed of regulations atthe centre, told what to expect next and how to claim official refugee status. In addition theywill be given an informal introduction to Yemeni customs, that warns them about the risk ofrobbery and informs them of social conventions - the advice goes even so far as to suggest that they don't urinate on a stranger's wall. At the end of it all, each will be interviewed and their details properly logged. They are then free to spend the next few days recuperating. Their journey isn't over yet, but it is nearing its end. (KEYSTONE/NOOR/Alixandra Fazzina)